


Speechless

by Reecey



Series: Like A Totally Different Person [1]
Category: Fallout 4
Genre: Alcohol, F/M, nothing dangerous though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-21
Updated: 2017-06-21
Packaged: 2018-11-17 01:10:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,299
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11264838
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reecey/pseuds/Reecey
Summary: Ellie goes out to the Dugout and sees the Sole Survivor outside of the office for the first time.She barely recognises her.





	Speechless

It was like she was looking at a totally different person than the one who dropped into the office from time to time to check for new cases, or borrow Nick for some mission or other.

Marquita was sitting on the bar of the Dugout, the _bar_ , and calling for another round of Vadim’s moonshine for the patrons sitting around her.

The bartender was more than happy to oblige as Marquita leaned to one side, resting on her elbow and flirting outrageously with a caravan guard wearing sunglasses _indoors_ even though it was _nighttime_. 

“Hello, Ellie,” Yefim sighed.

“Hi,” she replied, glancing nervously at Marquita as she knocked back a shockingly large glass of the rotgut.

Yefim sighed again.

“Yes, I am afraid that there are two of them now.”

She could see that, but she couldn’t see any of the shy and retiring woman who asked her how her day was nervously, or let Nick do all the talking.

She didn’t even dress the same. 

Usually she was in some practical light weight clothing, like jeans and a tshirt or her Vault Suit, with armour on top. But tonight she was wearing a low cut sequinned dress with a split that went up so high it was amazing that you couldn’t see her panties.

If she was even wearing any. 

A small part of Ellie panicked and wondered if this was the Institute’s worst replacement job since the Broken Mask incident, but the look on Yefim’s face said that Marquita was a long standing source of his suffering. 

“My condolences,” she said awkwardly. 

“Ellie?” 

She turned her head at the sound of her name. 

“Ellie!” Marquita grinned, “come over here, I’ll buy you a drink!” 

Yefim sighed yet again. 

“Do not let them bully you. If they get too much, call me over.” 

“Thanks, Yefim.” 

“Do not worry about it.” 

Ellie headed over and sat at the bar next to the caravan guard. 

“Vadim, a glass of your finest wine.” 

“What? My moonshine not good enough now?” he asked with a serious look, but Ellie knew better than to think he was actually _being_ serious. 

“Ellie’s a classy lady, she needs a classy drink.” 

Vadim laughed. 

“I cannot deny that, okay, one glass of wine coming up.” 

The guard pouted, “are you two saying I ain’t got class?” 

Marquita leaned down again and gave him the knowing smirk of a dear friend, “the way you’re looking down my dress, I _know_ you don’t.” 

“I have to agree with our lady friend here,” Vadim added, putting a glass of red wine in front of Ellie. 

The guard gave Ellie a hurt look, “they’re so cruel to me.” 

She gave him a weak smile and sipped at her wine. 

“So how have you been, Ellie?” Marquita asked, taking a glass of wine Vadim handed to her, “I haven’t seen you in a while.” 

“Oh, same as usual, holding the agency together while Nick goes off fighting crime.” 

Marquita took a gulp of wine. 

“I’m not asking about the agency, I’m asking about _you_ , Ellie. Done anything fun lately? Met up with anyone cute?” She winked with that question and Ellie turned pink. 

“Well… no, not really. I don’t get out much.” 

“That’s a real shame.” 

“Maybe after our success with Travis we could do something about that, yes?” Vadim suggested. 

The colour in Ellie’s cheeks drained right back out. 

“Okay, I need to draw the line somewhere Vadim, and this is that place. You stick yourself in Ellie’s love life and- and- Damn. I was gonna threaten to end yours permanently, but there’s no point is there?” 

Vadim laughed, “well, you know me, I am only interested in good clean fun. My brother though…” he looked meaningfully at Marquita, but his head was tilted towards Ellie in a way that spoke volumes. 

“You would literally be the _worst_ spy,” the guard said in a deadpan tone. 

Ellie’s eyes widened and she looked over to where Yefim was renting out a room reflexively. 

He didn’t seem to notice her looking at him, but he was smiling at the guest, and maybe he did look _kind_ of handsome. 

Her head snapped back before he could notice her gaze. 

“No shit?” Marquita asked, “wow. I had no idea he had such good taste in women.” 

“Exactly, now do you think my interference is a bad thing?” 

Ellie lifted her hand to stop them before they got too excited. 

She’d heard about his scheme to instill Travis with confidence, and frankly, Ellie didn’t think she was up to taking on a brewery full of armed raiders. 

Besides, it would ruin the mood when she _did_ rescue Yefim, because Nick would insist on coming too and it was hard to make out with someone when what was essentially your _dad_ was breathing down your neck. 

Godammit. They’d put ideas into her head now. 

“I’ll talk to Yefim,” and she could feel the hairs on the back of her neck stand up, because he’d obviously heard her say his name, “you two don’t need to do any more.” 

“Aw, that is no fun.” 

“Convenient though,” Marquita grinned, “need some more Dutch courage, Ellie?” 

She drained her wine. 

“Moonshine, I don’t wanna bother with class right now.” 

\---

 Her head was killing her as she drank her third cup of coffee that morning.

 Nick watched over her with the amused disapproval he’d had the last time she’d gotten drunk, but it was worse this time, as the story of how she’d tried to rip Yefim’s shirt off in the middle of the Dugout had spread through the field like wildfire in the early hours of the morning. 

“I didn’t know you had it in you, kid,” he’d teased, handing her a can of purified water. 

She pressed it to her forehead, the cool metal feeling nice. 

“That partner of yours is a terrible influence.” 

He chuckled, an undertone of disbelief in his voice, but not one that he expressed in words. 

Even Ellie started to doubt it when Marquita showed up half an hour later with some aspirin and a cup of Takahashi’s noodles. 

She was sensibly dressed again, her hair in a side braid instead of the loose pin-up bun it had been last night. 

The makeup was gone, and she looked just like the slightly lost former housewife that she was, instead of the queen of the night. 

“Hi Ellie,” she said quietly, “sorry about last night. How’s your head?” 

“Pounding,” Ellie groaned. “How’s Yefim? He’s not… mad, is he?” 

Marquita shook her head fondly, “no, he was just surprised. I saw him before I headed out this morning, he’s making you some fake flowers. Act surprised when he brings them over though.” 

“Right,” Ellie mumbled, taking the aspirin and using the water to gulp it down. 

She sounded different too, the seductive depth of her voice last night replaced with a higher, more nervous tone. 

“You wouldn’t happen to be free today, would you?” Nick asked her, “It’s just I’ve got a missing persons case I could really use your help on.” 

“Oh, no. I mean, yes. I’m as free as a bird,” Marquita said quickly, “could you give me fifteen minutes, though? I need to stock up on bullets at Arturo’s.” 

“No problem, I’ll wait for you at the gate.” 

With a parting nod, he stepped out of the agency, leaving the two women alone. 

Marquita let out a long breath of air, all the tension in her body melting away. 

“Are you okay?” Ellie asked. 

Marquita gave her an embarrassed smile, but she could see more of the women she’d seen last night in her face. 

“Yeah, I’m fine. It’s just… he’s so _dreamy_. It makes me really nervous.” 

Well, that explained _everything._

**Author's Note:**

> I thought it would be fun to show the depth of someone's feelings by how they interact with people other than the object of their affections in contrast to said object.
> 
> Also, funster asexual/aromantic Vadim!


End file.
